GTKY: Occupation style

AuroraP725

I know this question has been asked to death all over the board, but I haven't seen a recent one and there are a lot of new people joining lately (myself included). Plus I'm super nosey and curious. So...

Tell me about your job. What makes it awesome/special/important? How is it different from what you thought you wanted to do growing up?

Bonus points: Care to share what line of work your SO is in as well?

mommy2C

I'm a stay at home mom to my 2 year old little girl and most of the time, I love it. It is wonderful to be able to be part of the day to day aspects of her life and I love the bond that we have. Some days it is really hard due to illness or when she is just having a grumpy day or if I'm feeling isolated or overwhelmed. H sometimes works away from home and it can be draining to be the sole caregiver for weeks on end but over all, I wouldn't change it.

Prior to that, I was a law clerk working in real estate law and I loved my job. It was always busy, I worked with great friends as well as had a good boss and lots of perks to working with that particular firm. My hours were great and I had a lot of flexibility. I also enjoyed the regular interactions with other adults too!

H is a professional mechanical engineer. Not only does he do work specific to engineering but he also manages the entire engineering department as well as the entire maintenance department at a large plant that is part of an international company. The company makes nuclear tubing for the military as well as for the auto industry. He is "recognized talent" and well respected at his job and in his industry. I'm extremely proud of him to say the least.

aggiebug

I am a veterinarian. I love people and animals as well as critical thinking so it's perfect fit for me. I have always wanted to ne a veterinarian, but I did hope to work on horses and food animals as well. We don't live in a great area for that thanks to DH's job. While I still wish I did sometimes, I love my job.

Dh is an enginerd ;-)

Danielle0311

Tell me about your job.
I'm a paralegal for a large insurance company

What makes it awesome/special/important?
Well, the work we do is valuable for the attorneys and our company of course because the suits we win save them millions of dollars. I have about 50 attorney and 30 paralegals in my office so it's not your normal law firm, it's very high volume and very fast paced. It's also kinda like a factory and very monotonous lol.

How is it different from what you thought you wanted to do growing up? I always wanted to be a lawyer. I honestly couldn't afford law school so I stayed true to what I wanted to do and did the next best thing, paralegal. Not entirely satisfied with it and I hope one day I can go to law school later in life.

Bonus points: Care to share what line of work your SO is in as well?
He is a system support engineer. He really likes what he does. I met DH at my job where he was doing entry level IT work and he landed this new job with another company like 2 years ago. We are very fortunate they took a chance on him being he didn't have that much experience in that field because it was a great step up for him and our future!

firespirit717

I'm current a SAHM trying to get a job in nursing. I graduated last April and will most likely end up at a rehab facility rather than a hospital for a first job. I hope to eventually work on a labor and delivery floor, pospartum unit, or nicu. I will have to go back to school to get a bachelors degree though.

My bf is an appliance repair technician.

pinkgsxr

Tell me about your job. I'm a project manager for an electrical contractor

What makes it awesome/special/important? Right now, the fact that I'm the only one in my office.  I get to pretty much do what I want, my only supervisor is the company president who loves me, and no one messes with me.

How is it different from what you thought you wanted to do growing up? It's pretty similar.  My dad was an electrician, and I was his little baby, so I always wanted to be in construction/electrical.

Bonus points: Care to share what line of work your SO is in as well? H has two pretty awesome jobs.  He is a Warranty Engineer for a top level Honda supplier by day.  Essentially, if Honda says a recall is his company's fault he has to research and determine who of their suppliers caused it.  And on evenings/weekends he is a Police Officer.

LadyXaverian

I teach English at an inner-city high school.

What makes my job important/special?  Well, I think teaching is important, though education is so politicized that sometimes it feel like public school teachers are public enemy #1. But I love what I do. I think teaching inner-city is special because many of my kids come to school not just to learn, but to be loved. It's important for someone who teaches at my school (or a school like mine) not to judge the kids' parents or to feel bad for our kids--- just love them and teach them. Most students will respond in some form or fashion to that formula. 

How is it different from what I wanted to do? I decided I wanted to be a teacher when I was really young. I think I was in 5th grade. It's different from what I pictured, though, because I thought I'd teach music or band at a suburban elementary school lol. I was pretty sheltered growing up, in hindsight, and I really didn't know what an "urban" school was. I ended up in the inner-city circuit by accident- it's what was readily available when I started applying for jobs. It was a shock at first, but once I learned the lessons I stated above (don't judge; don't pity; just love), it all came together. I can't imagine teaching anywhere else!

Bonus points: DH works in communications and video production at a large public university.

OnceInLoveWithAmy

aggiebug said:

I am a veterinarian. I love people and animals as well as critical thinking so it's perfect fit for me. I have always wanted to ne a veterinarian, but I did hope to work on horses and food animals as well. We don't live in a great area for that thanks to DH's job. While I still wish I did sometimes, I love my job. Dh is an enginerd ;-)

I hope "enginerd" is not a typo, because that is my new favorite word to describe the hubs

I am a camera operator for a news helicopter.  I work for the #1 station in my city.  I freaking LOVE my job.  The people I work with are like family to me, and when the weather is crappy, I don't have to come to work and I still get paid for it, and not to toot my own horn, but I am damn good at my job.  Plus, I get to zip around in a helicopter all day.  

However, the schedule is a little rough.  I alternate a week of days (5:30a- 2p) and a week of nights (2p-11:30p).  I love the day shift, but the week of nights is a little rough.  I'm home with my son until noon, I have an hour to shower and get dressed and then I have to go to work.  I usually don't get home till after midnight, I don't get to put my son to bed and I don't see my husband all week.  I've made it 2.5 years with one child, but I cannot do this schedule with two children.  Plus, I've made as much as I am every going to make- no more raises in my future. 

Sooooo, I am in the process of getting my real estate license.  I passed the national portion of the exam and I take the state portion on Thursday.  I hope to make the transition to make more money, have more time home with the hubs and the bubs, and have more mobility with my job. 

The hubs... I don't know what the hell he does, haha.  He was a draftsman for a company that creates industrial equipment.  He still works for this company, however his job has changed recently, and he doesn't even really know what his title is anymore!  Project manager, maybe?  Whatever, he got a substantial raise, so as the CFO of our household that makes me happy

AuroraP725

Love the diversity in this group. I bet I could learn a lot from you all.

I'm a Histocompatibility technologist in a big university teaching hospital. I do all of the blood testing needed for transplant patients and recipients. It's a very demanding and specialized field. I love it. I also love working nights in the lab. It's quiet and I can get more work done at my own pace instead of worrying about managers breathing down my neck. 

According to my mom, I always said I wanted to be a "mommy" when I grew up. After that, I wanted to be a pediatrician for a while. Then I started going to college pre-med because I wanted to be a cardio thoracic surgeon. Yeah, talk about lofty expectations. I ended up finishing with a biology degree and fell into med tech work. 

My H is a quality supervisor at a glass factory. They make mostly Snapple bottles. He could tell you everything there is to know about making glass. He's currently waiting to hear about an interview he just had for a traveling consultant position. I'm hoping they don't make him wait much longer. 

vjdk07

I'm an RN in labor & delivery at a large metropolitan hospital. My job is awesome because I get to be a part of one of the most important events in a person's life. It is definitely not all sunshine and roses though and many days are much more emotionally exhausting than physically. We are the high risk referral hospital for the state and as a result, it's not always a happy ending. However, I love my job and think it's one of the coolest jobs there is.

DH is also an RN and he works in oncology.

lizzyp9112

Tell me about your job. I am the contracts manager for a small company that sets up merchandisers to put away material at Lowe's stores.  I handle hiring, firing, troubleshooting, and day to day make sure everything goes smoothly.

What makes it awesome/special/important? It's a work from home job which is great, since everything we do is online and over the phone.  I struggle with the lack of social interaction but make it a point to try to make the best out of situations for our clients.  I've had this job for almost 6 years and started when I was in the middle of getting my MBA.  While it's not something I want to do forever, the pay is awesome and my boss pays for top shelf health insurance out of pocket as well.

How is it different from what you thought you wanted to do growing up? I always wanted to be an artist and a mom.  I've always loved writing, as well.

So it's super different haha.

Bonus points: Care to share what line of work your SO is in as well? DH is the warehouse manager for a small local company, handling shipping and receiving.  He hates his job with a passion, and has been working for some time on website design and marketing with Amazon's Affiliate program.  So far the websites are doing well and we are hoping he can make that his full time job in the nearish future.

aggiebug

OnceInLoveWithAmy said:

aggiebug said:

I am a veterinarian. I love people and animals as well as critical thinking so it's perfect fit for me. I have always wanted to ne a veterinarian, but I did hope to work on horses and food animals as well. We don't live in a great area for that thanks to DH's job. While I still wish I did sometimes, I love my job. Dh is an enginerd ;-)

I hope "enginerd" is not a typo, because that is my new favorite word to describe the hubs

Most definitely not a typo  

eburgmama

I work part time as a Program Coordinator at a University. It is special mostly because it is PT lol. I work from home one day a week and int he office 2 days a week. My DD is in kindergarten this year and I have loved being able to help out in her classroom, as well as spending one on one time with my DS while DD is at school. 

chemgirlstl

I'm a research scientist.  I have a PhD in enzymology/biochemistry and work for a large agriculture company - yes, making GMO's.  

My job is interesting because there's always something different going on each day - although the meetings get to be annoying sometimes!  I study mode of action of our insect control toxins - mostly for the discovery platform.  

I always wanted to be in science when I grew up - so here's where I am.

My DH is an internal auditor for a bank.  He's the money guy in our house.

SpartanChick88

I am a full time mom to DD (3 1/2), I work part time in a gym child care - DD comes to work with me and plays with the other kids while I'm working AND I am a technical writer for a division of DHS, which I do from home.

My job(s) are awesome because I can do them all at the same time and have never had to put DD in day care.

I majored in International Relations/ Foreign Policy and wanted to be CIA.  I actually applied for NCIS when I was fresh out of college but they said as impressive as my educational background was, they really needed real world experience.  Since then I've worked with a satellite telecommunications company - mostly maritime, then as a lobbyist  to an association that handles maritime transportation, and finally to my current agency where I worked at HQ before moving way away from any installations, so they gave me a contract.

DH is in the car industry and was actually promoted yesterday

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SpartanChick88

I also just want to say that this forum is so great - where else can SAHMs hang out with Physicists and have everything in common?  Thanks for starting this thread.. I'm really interested to read what everyone does. @OnceInLoveWithAmy - I find your job very cool... no one ever thinks about the person operating the camera while we are watching breaking news unfold but obviously there is someone doing it, and here you are!

melsner

This is super fun! So many neat jobs! I can't wait to fully read the thread. I'm working now, so I have to skim here and there.

I am an administrative assistant for a wholesale liquor company. I answer phones and take orders for most of the bars and restaurants in my county, run invoices, handle all the customer service issues, handle all the ordering to keep our warehouse stocked, try new products that hit the market (yea!), and check in all the delivery drivers. It's fun and unique because there aren't many of these positions available in my area, and I get to work closely with bar and restaurant managers, liquor reps, and distributers. It keeps me 'in' with all the cool events, promo parties, and restaurant openings. Though, I suppose when I get KU I won't be able to take advantage as often!

DH is an office manager for a commercial cabinet and interior build out company. He hates it...but gets paid decently. He's been looking for a new opportunity for about a year now.

wirt2cute

This is cool. 

I am a supervisor with a non profit agency. We work with children who have been dx with mental and behavior disorders. Our goal is to make sure that our youths do not have any type of out of home placement ie. (juvenile court, department of children services, residential treatment facilities). My team and I advocate for our clients in all of the social services area. I have a team of 5 support providers. 

When I went to school my major was Elementary Education but I changed it to Sociology. I love what I do but I have figured out that I really want to be in the classroom teaching, so I am currently working on my Masters in Special Education. 

My H is one of my cities finest in blue. He wears his badge with pride and he loves being a police officer. He went to school for Criminal Justice and that is what he loves. 

I actually met him his rookie year at McDonald's. (Thank you Ronald). 

eta. wording

mildlymailyn

I am a practicing paralegal and I supervise the evictions and scheduling departments in one of the biggest landlord/tenant firms in the state.

My job is very stressful and a lot rides on my shoulders. I do what I can to make everyone, including myself, happy.

H is an automotive tech and he loves it.

KikiCohen

I'm a SAHM and it's the best decision we made. I love being able to be there to see all of DS' milestones and not have to worry about him. My mom had to work full time and part time when I was growing up and she regrets it.

In my "previous life" I worked for the Boy Scouts of America and coached high school cheerleading. I actually just gave up coaching in February bc I had a major falling out with the head coach over two games I had to miss when DS had surgery. It just wasn't worth it anymore.

ETA: DH is a case major for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

letsgox

It's neat to read what others do at work. A lot of times job titles don't lend themselves to the job description!

My job: I'm a PA in orthopedic surgery

Why it's great: I get to see my own patients, scrub in surgeries, help "fix" problems, and I can leave my work at the hospital because I don't take call or work weekends/holidays. I have a lot of responsibilities at work and the physicians I work with trust me which is nice!

What I wanted to do: I wanted to be an anesthesiologist. I think I will eventually go back to school as part of a PA to MD program, but not until later in life.

Bonus: H works at a privately owned pharmaceutical company in town. He also coaches the baseball team that the company sponsors. He played on that team when he was in HS and got to know the owners very well. They are a part of our family. He loves his job and there are tons of opportunities there, so that makes me happy for him

mchupie

I'm a healthcare IT consultant. I help hospitals/health systems install and maintain their inpatient pharmacy software. I never in a million years thought this would be my career but I love it and it keeps my brain working. Most consultants travel M-Th every week but I was lucky to have a local job for most of last year, and since then I've been working part-time from home. Right now I'm just doing ~10 hours a week while the girls are napping or after they go to bed and I'm earning more than I did working full-time at the software company itself. You can't beat that

DH is a post-doctoral associate at a local university. He's almost done and will be applying for faculty positions (possibly nationwide?) in a few months.

kelseypie

I have a weird job. I'm a hairstylist, but am not in a "salon". I work at a photography studio and boutique that carries mostly locally made mom, baby, and natural living items. I'm there to provide hair and makeup services for photo shoots, but see my own clients and walk ins as well. We also offer lots of classes geared towards families with young children. We are kind of a "crunchy", attatchment parenting type place. Aaaand we get to bring our kiddos with us, and yes sometimes it makes things difficult (but totally worth it!). It's a very "homey" environment.

DH also works for a small business, but not quite as unusual. He's in sales and works in an office. It's a pretty good job.

mchupie

Joy2611 said:

I'm a scientist.  I got my Ph.D. in 2010 in biological chemistry.  I focus on proteins - what they look like and what they do.  The way one protein is regulated in response to all kinds of other cellular factors could be an entire life's work.  They are so amazingly complicated.

The cells in our bodies (and other higher order living beings) have typically evolved one protein to do one particular function (highly simplified).  As you get to lower species and -  most especially! - viruses, you have one protein doing twenty different functions.  How?  HOW?

I'm currently focusing on proteins from viruses that can cause cancer.

EDIT: As a kid, I wanted to work in Mission Control at NASA. 

@Joy2611 you and DH need to chat. He got his Ph.D in Organic Chemistry and is a protein nerd, too.

YellowBag

Tell me about your job. I am an attorney.  I specialize in complex commercial litigation.

What makes it awesome/special/important? Every day and every case is different.  I get to learn in-depth about new industries and people, including their most sensitive information.  I get paid to come up with kick-ass arguments.  I work with incredibly intelligent people. 

How is it different from what you thought you wanted to do growing up? I wanted to be a trial lawyer since speech and debate as a freshman in high school.  My trials are farther apart than I pictured, but otherwise it is pretty similar. 

Bonus points: Care to share what line of work your SO is in as well? My hubby is a renaissance man who is currently going to school full time for accounting.  In the nine years since we started dating he has been (1) a philosophy student, (2) a contractor, (3) a computer programmer, (4) a medical billing specialist, (5) a retail employee, (6) a house husband, (7) a fine-woodworking carpenter, (8) an amateur stock investor, and who knows what else.  He is wicked smart and is good at everything he tries, but he gets bored easily.   

alea1108

I work in the business office for an electric company. My degree is in marketing/business admin, so I guess it fits. I minored in German....briefly thought about doing International business, but hightailed it when the first day of class was in exclusive German. Squeaked through that one and finished with a minor.

What's great about my job? MOST of my co-workers are great. But, seriously, the benefits are awesome, and I don't think I'll ever leave because of that. Nothing compares at all around here.

Always thought about being a lawyer (I worked in a law firm after college). As I got older, I really wanted to be an astronaut and considered aerospace engineering, but life happened and I guess I somewhat settled for an easier path.

DH works for a rural water company. He has to make sure the water passes all the government regulations for blah blah blah. I figure our job security is pretty good because everyone needs water and electricity!

GirlOnTheBeach

Tell me about your job. I'm a nanny/tutor

What makes it awesome/special/important? I was a high school teacher in a really bad at-risk school. My administrators were awful and treated everyone like crap. Now I work less hours, with awesome families and bring home more pay :-) plus, nothing beats getting paid to hang out at the beach or go to the farmers' market ;-)

How is it different from what you thought you wanted to do growing up? I thought I'd always be a teacher but after a few years of work in that profession with people who didn't care about the best interests of the kids, only their personal agendas, I am much happier working as a nanny!

Bonus points: Care to share what line of work your S/O is in? He works for my dad's construction company. Works out great because its a happy work environment for him too.

ETA: words...

BabyCowbell

I'm an accountant, CPA, for a brewery. I always thought I'd be a doctor growing up but it turns out science is hard.

As far as accounting jobs go, working for a brewery is pretty sweet. Tons of free beer, I get to wear jeans everyday, and it's easier to genuinely care and understand that results of the business. If I was accounting for jet engine parts or something I don't think it would be so fun to keep track of what's going on.

Husband is an accountant too.

LexiSophie55

Tell me about your job. I am a food scientist.  Part time farmer.

What makes it awesome/special/important? My job changes daily.  It is quite interesting and not usually heard of.  We develop cheese sauce, dips, pudding, spreads, etc.

How is it different from what you thought you wanted to do growing up? I wanted to work in a grocery store - as a cashier.  This is quite different.  I kind of wing it - I wasn't set on one thing growing up....obviously.

Bonus points: Care to share what line of work your SO is in as well? He is an architectural sheet metal worker.

dreemkin84

Tell me about your job. I am a part time Clinical Laboratory Scientist, or Med Tech as it used to be called, in a hospital (what up to all my fellow science/biology peeps!) and a part time SAHM.

What makes it awesome/special/important? Whenever specimens get sent to the lab, we test them: blood and urine (including qualitative and quantitative hcg), body fluids, stool, nose/wound swabs, semen (SA). Anything that comes out of a body really.  It's not glamourus but it's so interesting and every day is different. I used to work in chemistry and hematology but now I work in microbiology and it's cool growing out bacteria and identifying it. Plus we work up sensitivities of antibiotics which help the MD prescribe the best one. I really feel like I'm helping save lives when I work.

How is it different from what you thought you wanted to do growing up? I wanted to work in the medical field for a long time, and I realized that I don't like the "hands on" work of nursing. So I found this and it was a perfect fit for me. When I was really little I wanted to be a rock star or a pilot...so those didn't pan out.

Bonus points: Care to share what line of work your SO is in as well? He works in IT security.

Pintobean39

I tell people I'm retired. I'm a CPA that no longer works. I lost my job about 3 years ago and have never looked back. My 15yr old LOVES having me home and I love it too. I get to have lunch with my 20 yr old 3-4 days a week, and I wouldn't trade that for the world, since he lives on his own now and I don't see him as often. I do volunteer work when ever I can. I also try to keep my husband straight, that's my hardest job. My husband is a Dr working as a hospitalist and a Hospice Director so he works a lot.

Lizbeth2462

Tell me about your job. I'm a chemical dependency counselor in a MICA unit (mental illness/chemical addiction).

What makes it awesome/special/important? I love it. It's a difficult field, because the rate of success (defined by clients reaching long-term sobriety from drugs/alcohol and drastically improving symptoms of mental illness) is honestly pretty low. There is high rate of relapse in MICA populations. But I enjoy my work and care about my clients so much. It's NEVER boring, and I usually leave the office feeling like I made somewhat of a difference.

How is it different from what you thought you wanted to do growing up? Growing up, I changed my mind often but I always wanted to be in some sort of a "helping" field (doctor, dentist, veterinarian, physical therapist, etc.). I really became interested in psychology after working at a summer camp for kids with mental illnesses or other challenges, and knew I wanted to be a therapist as soon as I started taking college classes in psych. However, I never thought I wanted to work in the addictions field- but now that I am in my current position, I could see myself staying with this population for a few more years.

Bonus points: Care to share what line of work your SO is in as well? He is a hockey coach.

triagain2

Tell me about your job.

I am a pediatric nurse practitioner. It's a great job because I get to work with sick little kiddos all day. I have the cutest patients

Bonus points: Care to share what line of work your SO is in as well?

He is an internal medicine physician. He does not have the cutest patients.

pippacricket

I'm late to the party but I want to play too!!

Tell me about your job. I'm a pharmacist.

What makes it awesome/special/important? The people I work with are awesome. Helping patients with the management of their medications is important and I enjoy doing it but all the sucky people (i.e. people trying to pass of fake scripts, arguing to get narcotics filled early) make it kind of frustrating.

How is it different from what you thought you wanted to do growing up? I wanted to be a rock star growing up
B-) So definitely different ha.

Bonus points: DH is a mechanic.

(Sorry if the formatting sucks. I'm on my phone at the moment
)

sgio7485

I am a first grade teacher. It is awesome because 6 and 7 year olds are hilarious, and they always keep me on my toes. I always have a funny story from the day. It is absolutely what I wanted to do when I grew up - I always pictured myself teaching kindergarten (and did for a year) but made the jump to first and never looked back

Bonus points: Care to share what line of work your SO is in as well? DH is a district manager for Pepsi Co./Frito Lay. We get lots of chips. I'll share!

mm529

CrazyMonkeyBear said:

I'll play

Tell me about your job. I'm a Health Physicist.

What makes it awesome/special/important? I'm a operational HP, so my responsibility is to work with the site staff and make sure that their radiation exposure is below the limits set by the federal, state, and local regulations. Well, me and the rest of the staff. The days are mostly good, but I have bad ones where I get "ZOMG radiation" comments from everyone and that just makes me stabby.

How is it different from what you thought you wanted to do growing up? I always thought I wanted to be a teacher. I don't do much teaching other than required training.

Bonus points: Care to share what line of work your SO is in as well? Right now, he's a Nuclear Engineering Ph.D. student hopefully graduating in May 2015 (so for now, we are long distance. Ughh). He works with radiation detectors and a small research nuclear reactor.

::lurker appears:: My H is a nuclear engineering PhD student who works on (and builds) detectors also. I wonder if our husbands know each other. It's a relatively small field.

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magsame

I have been a teacher for 9 years and this year I am the media specialist (aka librarian) 

It's awesome because I get to see the littlest kids excited about reading and I get to work with 7th and 8th graders doing TV production classes. 

It's not really different from what I wanted to do when I was a kids. I always played 'school'. 

DH is a mortgage underwriter for JP Morgan

nittanyllama

Tell me about your job. I've been a SAHM for a year now, DS is 2.5. Nobody wants to hear about that

I have my master's degree in social work and worked in a hospital for 4 years prior to staying home. I worked with L&D/NICU/Pediatrics, but it was a very, very emotionally exhausting job. I had to deal with the difficult stuff, like: drug positive babies, child abuse cases and babies/kids getting taken by Child Protective Services, homeless pregnant moms, moms who needed psychiatric placements, people with no insurance, moms with no money for cribs and diapers, emotional support for moms who experienced losses, etc. I also did discharge planning.

How is it different from what you thought you wanted to do growing up? When I was really little I wanted to be a doctor when I grew up. Then I realized I freak out with blood and guts. After that I kind of knew I'd be a social worker. My mom took in foster kids and it just kind of stuck with me.

But now I feel like I burned out as a social worker already. I want to switch to a new career when I go back to work eventually. I just have no clue what.

Bonus points: Care to share what line of work your SO is in as well? MH is also an enginerd His degree is in Surveying Engineering but he does more Civil Engineering type work (gas pipelines, housing developments, storm water management, etc.)

melsner

@Joy2611‌ Sorry about that!